The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor

Lor these parts are tin* intellectual causes of the iiirorporenis which are divided about bodies, as they are planes and squares; the former being the square of the second, and the latter of the third part. And the fourth part," indeed, is

1 Tlir«r *c\cn parls arc line iiiiiiiIkt» I. C. J. 4. 8, 27.

* 'porev >“••>« i* nmiltcd in (lie original.

’ Tor arfjorarov here, 1 rud «»i\orarv*

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PROCLUb ON THE

[dook 111 .

the cause of progression anil generation, but the fifth, of conversion anil per¬ fection. For both are planes; but one is from the second part, subsisting twice from it, anti the other from the third part, thrice proceeding from it.' And it seems, th it the former of these planes, is imitative 1 of the generative natures which are divi¬ sible about bodies; but that the latter is imitalixe of intellectual conversions.* Forall knowledge converts that which knows to the tiling known; just as every nature wisliito generate, and to make a progression to that which is inferior. And the sixth and seventh parts, contain in themselves, the primordial causes of bodies and solid masses: for these numbers are solids. And the former ol them, indeed, is lmm the second, but the hitter from the third part. But Plato m what he says convert¬ ing the hi>t to the first parts, and the terminations of the soul to its summit, places one part as octuple, but the other as twenty seven times the first. And thus the essence of the soul consists of seven parts as abiding, proceeding, and returning, and as the cause of the progression and regression of the essences divisible about bodies, and of bodies themselves. If, also, you are willing so to speak, Ilecause the soul is allotted an hypostasis between impartildes and p irtibles, she imitates the former through the triad of the terms, but antecedently assumes the latter from the ti trad. But the w hole of her consists oi all the terms, lieeause the xx hole of her is the centre of wholes. It is possible also to dixide these parts according to tin* duple order, if you assume the summit of the soul, and consider the permanency, progression, and regression* of it, and also the i oiixersioii to it of things proximatelv posterior to it, and the last subjection ol solids, or rather the diminution of tlit* cause of them, according to tin* duple ratio. 1 or you xxill find that the xvliole of this co-ordination pertains to the prolific du id. Blit again the regression of itself to itself, and of the natures proximatelv posterior to it, and of those that rank in the third degree from it, to the uniform and collective essence of w holes, subsist according to the triple order. '1 he arithmetical there¬ fore and harmonic middles, give completion to these intervals, xxliicli are essen¬ tial, and Mirvevcil according to existence itself; some of them as xxc haxe said, binding tlit ir samenesses, tint others their difleretit es.

'1 he arithmetical there¬ fore and harmonic middles, give completion to these intervals, xxliicli are essen¬ tial, and Mirvevcil according to existence itself; some of them as xxc haxe said, binding tlit ir samenesses, tint others their difleretit es.

Farther still you m »y al-u say, in a way more proximate to the things themv< !xes, that the smd according to one part is united to the natures prior to it, and

' The third part i* 3, and J) u c«|ual to 3 + 3 + 3.

1 I or -><» here, it ij tn*i’es***ir\ l»* IT.id

» Iiistiail ef-, 01 .^«/<u> T,)i ir f v.„. v »i if!-** OJI vJo X i}i «iri<Tr,>orruor 111 this pl*ce, il Is necessary t« n-j.l i uiifuriil.ihly In I In* xcro.in ol'Tliolun-in, ij it r vr tct(>~r twiorpc yi>vr)T«r), except llul hercabo for it is requisite to rtatl /njjFjnci}.

* 1 here is an omission here hi the original, of it

BOOK III.]

TIM,El'S OF PLATO.

p. 85

this part is the summit of the soul; hut according to the duple and triple part, it proceeds Imm intellect, and returns to it;’ and according to the double of the double, anti the triple of the triple, it proceeds from itself, and attain returns to itself, and through itself a> a medium, to the principles of itself. For through being tilled from these principles it is prolific * of secondary natures. And as indeed, the progression from itself, is suspended from the natures prior to itself, thus also the conversion or regression to itself’ is suspended from the regression of tli*‘ beings that are prior to it. lhit the last parts, according to which it consti¬ tutes the natures posterior to itself, are referred to the first part; in order that a circle without a beginning may hr; unfolded to the view, the end Im mg conjoined to the beginning, and that the universe may become animated, and at the same time endued with intellect, the solid numbers being co-arranged with the first part. Moreover, he says that from these middles, sesquialler and sesipiitcrtian ra¬ tios, and also sesqWioetaves, become apparent. What else, therefore, does he intend to indicate by these things, than the more partial dillerence of the psychical ratios? And the sesquialter ratios indeed present us wit ii an image of partible communion, hut arrording to the first of the parts. The sesipiiterliau ratios, of partible communion according to the middle terms. And tin* sesquioctaves of this communion, according to the last b rms. Hence also, the middles or pro¬ portions arc conjoined to each other, according to the scsipiioetave ratio. For as being surveyed according to opposite genera, they have the smallest communion; hut they are appropriately conjoined to both extremes.

Hence also, the middles or pro¬ portions arc conjoined to each other, according to the scsipiioetave ratio. For as being surveyed according to opposite genera, they have the smallest communion; hut they are appropriately conjoined to both extremes.

1 imams also adds, that all the sesrpiitr rt inn ratios are filled by the interval of the sesquioctave, in conjunction with the leimma ; indicating that the terminations of all tin ■se ratios, end in more partial hypostases, in consequence of the soul com¬ prehending the causes of the last and |>erfectly partible essences in the world, and pre-establishing in itself, the principles of the order and harmony of them, according to the demiurgic \vill. Tin* soul therefore, possesses the principles of harmonious progression and regression, and of the division into things first, middle and last; and is one intellectual reason or ratio, receiving its completion from all ratios. And again, that all the harmony of the soul, consists of a quadruple diapason, diapente and tone, is consonant to these things, l'or since

* According to the version of Thoniaeui, there is an omission here in the original, of the words vara bt rr)V bcw\aruav vat rfuwXairiar, avo rev rev rpoutr i, ioi rpol airror ixierptijHi. Indeed the sente requirei tbit addition.

* For porvpot in this place, it it necessary to read yonpot.

* The words ovrvt rj eii caiTijr ewnrrpo^ij, which are omitted in the original, ought to be inserted, conformably to the version of Thomaais,

PllOCLUS ON Tin:

[BOOK Ilf.

p. 80